Border Patrol agents in Blythe, California, arrested a California man and his 17-year-old brother after a police dog tipped off a large cache of semi-automatic rifles in their vehicle. In total, agents seized 25 AK-style rifles, two handguns and magazines in Blythe, California, on Wednesday. Jose Palma Armendariz and his teenage brother face federal charges in connection with Wednesday’s seizure of the firearms and magazines.
The two suspects were handed over to local authorities and the investigation into the incident continues. Yuma Sector Patrol Captain Sean McGoffin commented on the seizure, “International criminal organizations on both sides of the border smuggle weapons to further their illegal activities. This weapons seizure underscores the importance of the Border Patrol mission and our commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
The Border Patrol said the seizure is believed to be the largest in recent Yuma-sector history.
Law enforcement officers assigned to the Coachella Valley Violent Crimes Gang Task Force (CVVCGTF) were dispatched to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Blythe Station to assist with the weapons seizure and investigation. Based on initial interviews with the suspects, authorities believe the weapons were originally retrieved by the pair in Phoenix, Arizona and ultimately traveled to Mexico. The weapons were found in the trunk of a Honda CRV crossover.
Blythe is 100 miles north of the Mexican state of Sonora, where Breitbart Texas reports that clandestine graves have been discovered recently, evidence of violent clashes between members of Mexican drug cartels. Splinter groups within the Sinaloa Cartel, which controls the state, have been engaged in internal fighting and are largely responsible for the recent skirmishes in Sonora. The Sinaloa Cartel is also at odds with its rival to the east, the Juarez Cartel. The weapons seized on Wednesday may have been destined for this part of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The older of the two brothers, Jose Palma Armendariz, is currently being held at Brice Correctional Facility pending an ongoing investigation, while Palma’s underage brother has been released to his parents and remains at large pending the case.
Randy Clark Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Chief of the Law Enforcement Operations Division, where he led operations for nine Border Patrol stations in the Del Rio Sector, Texas. Follow him on Twitter: @RandyClarkBBTX.
